by Kalya Ryan & Lonely Planet

From the people who've been delivering trustworthy guidebooks to every destination in the world for 40 years,Lonely Planet's 50 Festivals To Blow Your Mind will make your next trip an unforgettable one.

There's something about festivals. Whether it's a giant, joyous party or a respectful honouring of tradition, a seemingly bizarre adherence to ritual or a celebration of a quirky obsession - a festival is a uniquely human thing to be involved in. We get together to dance, sing, eat, laugh, drink, dress up, light fires, take our clothes off, throw tomatoes at each other, roll around in mud - just about anything really, but we seem to like doing it in really large groups with bags and bags of enthusiasm.

Festivals are life-affirming and take our desire to have a good time with friends and family to a global level. They continue to thrive because they ignite curiosity and help to promote understanding, compassion and a greater acceptance of other races, cultures and traditions.